Yesterday’s win versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders came at a steep price, as both Brian Bratton & Brandon Whitaker left due to injury. As of this blog going viral, no word has been released on how serious the injuries are. Both are tremendous losses respectively as the march towards the playoffs begin.

The game itself was not the most masterful win, as Montreal still at times looked shell-shocked from the beatdown B.C. put on them the week previous. Jamel Richardson & S.J. Green had highs and lows all day long. The saving grace for the Alouettes was the complete lack of discipline from the Riders. More than once, the Alouettes were saved from 2 & outs due to a errant penalty that would give Montreal a fresh set of downs.

They also benefited from backup QB Drew Willy’s first CFL start. Under pressure, he was sacked 3 times & picked off twice. Any flashes of brilliance came from Kory Sheets, who had a stellar day running for the Riders. While this game didn’t have the usual playoff feel to it compared to years previous, it was still a great afternoon of football at Molson Stadium.

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I was hoping to attend the most recent Alouettes Summit 2 Sundays ago, but was terribly ill (also why there was no blog post last week). From all account from the people who attended, it was a great event. Put on by the team for season ticket holders, the event featured a meet & greet with the CFL Commisioner Mark Cohon, Head Coach Marc Trestman & a few of the players. It also featured a Q&A session where fans were allowed to ask players & brass questions.

I would have loved to have been there…it’s my sincere hope that based on the success of this event, other such get-togethers will be put on by the team in the near future. And I promise, gentle reader that no illness will befall me and prevent me from sharing such an experience with you all!

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It does my heart good to see the tailgate explode the way it has. The guys from LesGarsQuiVivent.com always do it up properly and yesterday was no exception. There was even some visitors from Saskatchewan, as the parents of Roughriders QB Darian Durant came by. Despite the rivalry on the field, the Durants were greeted with open arms, as well as the other Rider fans in attendance.

If you haven’t been yet to the tailgate, you’re missing out. It is a great way to prepare for the game itself. The BBQ is always burning hot and the drinks are ice-cold. And when fans such as yours truly shows up with homemade Rocky Road brownies, you’ll never leave hungry!

Be sure to tune in later this week as I preview the big divisional matchup on Sunday versus the Toronto Argonauts. The last time these two met, the Argos squeaked by with a win in Montreal. With Hamilton regaining their footing this week, there are no more gimme games in the CFL. Every win becomes more and more important to that 100th Grey Cup game.